A • C H I L L Y • A F T E R N O O N
Ash 3, 121 AoS
The Commons bustled today even more than usual. Crowds shuffled from stall to stall while honest merchants tried to sell their wares, and they shouted prices over one another in order to attract customers. The winding streets were alive with the sound of joyful conversation and spirited haggling in equal measure. The air itself was heavy with the aroma of cuisine both local and exotic, though there was precious little place to actually sit and eat in peace on the crowded streets themselves. Most found their way into a side street like the one Charlie was in right now, and finally the time seemed right for the young man to strike once again. In matters of being a charlatan, Charlie could not afford to be shy. As a few more men and women filed into the alley for a quiet lunch together, Charlie stepped forward and placed one foot on top of his crate of 'wares'.
"Ladies and gentlemen!" Charlie said, throwing his arms out to either side with such exaggerated self importance it was almost impressive. "Know it or not, you've come upon a bargain like no other." He pointed quickly at a man already making a move to leave the alley. Charlie couldn't have that! "You sir! Just answer me one simple question before you go." Charlie said with an admirable confidence. His accent was also very clearly practiced, enunciating syllables with specific intent to avoid losing them altogether. "If I could promise you this tonic, this little bottle right here," Charlie produced a small glass bottle of blue liquid from inside his coat. Nothing more than water, dye, and drops of various herbal extracts to give it an appealing scent. "If there was one thing it could do to make you buy it, what would it be?"
The man turned, and locked eyes with Charlie. In that moment, the connection was made. The man's symphony was laid out before him, and Charlie could hear the notes as plainly as he could see them. It was important, Charlie realized, to keep the first detractors from leaving, so he focused his effort on this upstanding gentleman who had seen right through his lies. His effortless, charming smile never left him even as he composed a melody of his own making. He took the irritation the man already felt and added to it a desire to see Charlie proven wrong, but also he found the man's insecurity over his own balding head, and dialed it up as well until it nearly ruined the symphony with its irritating little whine.
"Psh Let me guess, it can regrow my hair?" the stout, balding man said indignantly, crossing his arms and giving Charlie a hard stare. He hadn't even noticed his own mind betraying him. Charlie's smug look of satisfaction was impossible to hide.
"Oh, sir..." Charlie said, stepping forward into the crowd that were gathered in the alley. Most of them looked at him. He was a spectacle, dressed in an expertly tailored suit but with hair so windswept it scarcely looked like he brushed it. Adding to the display, A cigarette hung between his lips that burned slowly enough it was clear he hadn't taken a drag from it since lighting it. "It can do that and so much more. Hair loss, weight loss, headaches, aches and pains! Now step right up folks, let me show you exactly what Angelov's Ail-Fixin' Elixir can do you for. Just a whiff of this stuff clears your mind. Swear it to all the gods of men, I do!"
And on his performance went, promising each of them the world for only a few silver. He was not a strong enough mage to control the entire crowd, so he took turns influencing anyone that seemed interested, and ignored those that he could tell were only there to gawk. Once released from his direct influence, their minds did the rest for him, reinforcing the fleeting feelings all on their own. Not only was it a spirited performance, it was damned loud, echoing through the alleyways before finally getting lost into the cacophony of the street. Charlie himself was as lost in his work as his targets were, scarcely sparing a look behind him as he worked to part honest men and women from their coin.
